Celebrity Sightings, Party Report and more Part II

• This past Sunday, Lindsay Price celebrated her baby shower with lots of old co-stars and celebrity friends at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.   It was hosted by Sarah Michelle Gellar, Leslie Sloane (publicist) and Lanie Sorkin Beckie (her manager).  Celeb guests at the shower included: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Rebecca Romijn, Sara Rue, Tiffani Thiessen, Jamie Ray Newman, Ever Carradine and Kellie Martin. The shower took place in an amazing suite at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel that has exhilarating views overlooking LA and the Hollywood Hills, floor-to-ceiling windows, a baby grand piano an oversized Jacuzzi in the master bedroom.  The menu included a lot of super-rich and decadent items like a truffle and artichoke risotto and a ton of fun desserts and sweets including Nutella Crepes with burnt-bourbon caramel drizzle, Banana crème brulee and a big chocolate fountain for guests to dip in fruits and cookies, etc. Tiny Prints provided the adorable invitations.  They also set up a “make your own stationary” station on site so the guests could customize and bring home their own sets. 
• In a gleaming outdoor kitchen set, Alton Brown and members of The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs cast, including Anne Burrell, Michael Chiarell, Alex Guarnaschelli, Robert Irvine and Geoffrey Zakarian, kicked off “The Next Iron Chef Experience,” presented by Time Warner Cable, at the Food Network New York City Wine & Food Festival.  The interactive event heats up the Meatpacking District in Manhattan at the Pedestrian Plaza located at 13th Street and Ninth Avenue. “The Next Iron Chef Experience” invites the public to be part of the iconic “secret ingredient” altar reveal moment that Iron Chefs experience in Food Network’s world-famous Kitchen Stadium. Starting September 30 through October 2, attendees have the opportunity to film their best Chairman impersonation and read the show’s opening lines, take photos at the Time Warner Cable and Food Network booth, and win prizes.  Visitors can also relax in the Time Warner Cable SignatureHome™ Lounge and check out the offerings from the company’s premium package. SignatureHome caters to a growing residential market segment that places a premium on personalized white glove service, installation and care.  The features of SignatureHome™ include: the company’s most robust digital cable package, fastest Internet service and digital home phone product, Whole House DVR, Remote DVR Manager, Wireless Home Networking for up to 14 devices, and VoiceZone on PC, which allows retrieval of voice messages online.  The Next Iron Chef: Super Chefs premieres Sunday, October 30th at 9pm in HD on Time Warner Cable Channel 750. 
• Sean Parker Celebrates Spotify's F8 Facebook Launch With A Night Of Music. In San Francisco, Sean Parker hosted an exclusive party to celebrate music and today’s f8 announcement of the Facebook and Spotify partnership. Guests including Mark Zuckerberg enjoyed a memorable evening with performances by The Killers, Jane's Addiction, Snoop Dogg and Kaskade. Key music VIPs including Parker, Spotify's Daniel Ek and industry manager Paul Rosenberg held a panel that discussed the future of music and impact of social media.
• Naeem Khan, Rachel Roy, Vivienne Tam, Dr. Valerie Steele, Robert Verdi, Michelle Harper, Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos, Miguelina Gambaccini, Coralie Charriol, Jennifer Creel, Minnie Mortimer, Carolina Zapf, Jennifer Creel, Jackie Astier, Gillian Hearst Simonds, Susan Shin and Barbara Winston attended the Fashion 4 Development luncheon last month hosted by Evie Evangelou and Lincoln Center’s founding Director of Fashion, Stephanie Winston Wolkoff.
•  EXTRA Host Mario Lopez has kept busy in NYC during Fashion Week. After conducting his first ever interview with Lady Gaga, Lopez worked up an appetite and headed to Brasserie Beaumarchais with a group of friends. The star noshed on everything from Fish to  Steak at the same time sipping and raving about the Beaumarchais Lemonade. He was overhead telling his friends that Lady Gaga had a great sense of humor!
• South Beach Smoke electronic cigarettes have been an increasing trend among Hollywood stars such as Katherine Heigl, Jerry Ferrara, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Uma Thurman, among many others. Most recently spotted picking up the trend and in an effort to kick her bad habit was Jersey Shore’s JWOWW.  The Jersey Shore star, who was constantly seen smoking real cigarettes on-set was spotted off-set puffing on her South Beach Smoke electronic cigarette, gifted to her by the brand in an effort to get her to quit smoking. It must be working for her, as JWOWW was spotted out-and-about recently attached to her South Beach Smoke, as she enjoyed it indoors at parties, as well as during regular cigarette breaks.
• On September 26, Time Warner Cable brought SHOWTIME customers one killer of an opportunity to watch the new season premiere of the Emmy Award-nominated SHOWTIME series DEXTER, one week before the sixth season begins. Actor C.S Lee, who plays wisecracking forensic expert Vince Masuka on the popular series, joined Time Warner Cable to host the private screening at the Florence Gould Hall Theatre in Manhattan for over 300 excited fans and customers. Kelly Choi, host of Secrets of New York and former Top Chef Masters host, joined Time Warner Cable and SHOWTIME executives and fans for the exclusive VIP screening party.  Following the party, customers received gift bags and had the chance to enter a raffle to win prizes.
•  On Monday, September 12th, Jennifer Hudson, Aretha Franklin,   attended the Thelonious Monk 25thAnniversary Gala Concert and Party. The evening, made possibly by major sponsor Cadillac, focused on theimportance of jazz education and featured performances by a number of jazz greats, including Aretha Franklin, Jennifer Hudson and Herbie Hancock. Jennifer Hudson, who looked amazing in a blue dress, danced and jammed backstage to the Aretha Franklin tribute.  She surprised everyone on stage with a performance of “Oh Me Oh My.” When someone asked her who should play in the movie about her life, Aretha Franklin announced confidently that she thought Halle Berry was the perfect choice. During the Aretha Franklin tribute, a who’s who of jazz greats (including Chaka Kahn, Kurt Elling, Dee Bridgewater, Kevin Eubanks, Diane Reeves, among others) changed the words from “cause you make me feel” to “Hail to the queen… Hail to the queen… cause you are a phenomenal woman,” which sent the crowd wild. The recipient of the 2011 Jazz Competition award was Kris Bowers, a Julliard student, who received $25,000 and a recording contract from Concord Music Group.
• Diamond-selling, multiplatinum Grammy winning group, Boyz II Men hosted an intimate album release event for their 20th Anniversary album titled 'Twenty' at the Porsche Design Store in NYC. The Boyz performed some of their biggest hits and some of their new tracks, too. They posed for pictures with fans and chatted with guests. Their new single “More Than You’ll Even Know” featuring Gap Band legend Charlie Wilson is on iTunes.   Boyz II Men will celebrate 20 hit making years with their brand new album TWENTY out October 25, 2011. The double CD album set will contain 12 brand new songs plus 8 newly recorded and updated versions of Boyz II Men classics, including “End Of The Road,” “I’ll Make Love To You,” and “Bended Knee,” amongst others that spawned the birth of one of the most successful singing groups of all time. The Boyz have also launched their own Mobile App (for iPhone & Android smart phones). The Boyz II Men App creates a network for the groups over 60 million fans to be the first to hear about new music, videos and concerts Features include, live broadcasts from Boyz II Men, music videos, social media feeds, giveaways and much more. The Boyz II Men App also provides a medium for their fan all over the world whom they've affectionately call (S.O.L.) "Soldierz of Love" to connect with each other, discuss music and plan trips to concerts through the Boyz II Men user profile.   “We started with a pure love for music, so to be here twenty years later still doing what we love has been a pure blessing” comments Wanya Morris of the trio. The group’s tenor and judge on hit breakout show NBC’s The Sing-Off, Shawn Stockman remarked “From day one our fans have been amazing, they’ve seen us grow from boys to men, so we owe all our success to their continued support” while Nathan Morris commented “Using the iPhone APP, our fans will be able to continue to watch us grow. We have been around for twenty years, so we think the iPhone APP is a great way to reach out to a new generation of fans.”   As newly announced inductees to receive their star on the world famous “Hollywood Walk Of Fame,” Boyz II Men’s new studio album TWENTY will feature brand new material for the first time in 10 years. Currently in studio, the iconic group is working on new material with hit producers such as Babyface, Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, Teddy Riley, as well as Julian Bunetta (Leona Lewis, Natasha Bedingfield) and Tim/Bob (Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Lopez), amongst others.  TWENTY will be released as an exclusive CD only at Walmart, and available digitally everywhere, on October 25, 2011 on the Boyz own label MSM Music, with partners Benchmark Entertainment.
  For up to date information on new music, tours and upcoming album, please go to WWW.BOYZIIMEN.COM or Facebook http://www.facebook.com/BoyzIIMen  
  Listen To Boyz II Men’s “More Than You’ll Ever Know (Feat. Charlie Wilson)” From TWENTY:
http://music-mix.ew.com/2011/08/29/boyz-ii-men-more-than-youll-ever-know-charlie-wilson/

Buy “More Than You’ll Ever Know (Feat. Charlie Wilson)”:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/more-than-youll-ever-know/id459683832
  
•  Jerry Ferrara celebrated Emmy Weekend by picking up a pair of Giorgio Armani sunglasses
 at the SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique during the HBO Luxury Lounge in Beverly Hills.  Olivia Munn joked about not wanting to date an actor, while picking up Marc Jacobs and BOSS Orange sunglasses
 at the SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique during the HBO Luxury Lounge in Beverly Hills over Emmy Weekend. Melissa Joan Hart tried on multiple pairs of sunglasses at the SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique during the HBO Luxury Lounge in Beverly Hills over Emmy Weekend but decided on a Marc by Marc Jacobs Cat Eye pair. Alan Cumming patiently getting wait-listed for the new Emporio Armani 30th Anniversary sunglasses at the SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique during the HBO Luxury Lounge in Beverly Hills over Emmy Weekend. True Blood's Joe Manganiello was seen picking up Giorgio Armani, Carrera and BOSS sunglasses 
from the SOLSTICE Sunglass Boutique during the HBO Luxury Lounge in Beverly Hills over Emmy Weekend.
  
• Last month, TV’s biggest stars were in L.A. for the 63rd Primetime Emmy Awards, and Hasbro was backstage at the official gifting suite where the celebs got to play the brand new game, Simon Flash – an updated take on the classic Simon. The stars stayed on their toes as they tried to keep up with Simon’s commands. Celebrity guests to the gift lounge also had their game closets stocked with all of Hasbro’s hot new games to make sure they’re always ready for game night. Entourage's Jerry Ferrara has a secret passion for board games - who knew?! Jerry, roaming the suite with his real life girlfriend Alex, went straight up to Hasbro's Simon Flash table and announced, " I am not afraid of Simon, I am going to beat him!"  Turns out, Jerry did beat Simon Flash and was the highest scorer, no one beat Jerry's high score over the two day suite.  Looks like Jerry has a reputation for being a game board pro! When Kevin Dillion stopped by the Simon Flash table he said he'd only challenge fellow castmate, Jerry Ferrara, to Simon Flash if he wanted to lose - apparently it's no secret on the set that Ferrara is a serious gamer.
  Following in the footsteps of his fellow Entourage castmates, Adrien Grenier ponied up to Hasbro's Simon Flash table for a quick game right before showtime, exclaiming "I need games!" The star says he's a regular host of game nights and that if he could challenge anyone to a game it would be Albert Einstein.
  Paula Abdul stopped by the suite on Saturday (9/17) following her rehearsal for today's show. Paula couldn't help but giggle, when she stopped at Hasbro's Simon Flash table - of course the game's name reminded her of her co-host, Simon Cowell, who she is excited to work with again.  Paula's dream game opponent? Mel Brooks. That would be one funny game night.
  LL Cool J walked into the suite right before the big show was about to start and went straight to Tracy Morgan. The two caught up before LL made his way to Hasbro's Simon Flash table where he played a round of Simon. When asked who he'd challenge in a game night, LL said he'd like to bring Napoleon Bonaparte back from the dead for an epic match up and to ask the former ruler what he was thinking! LL grabbed Simon Flash and Yahtzee Flash for his 11 year old daughter, who is a big game fan.
  The always funny Tracy Morgan entered suite with enthusiasm and said "let's get this party started!" His fiancee joined made the rounds with him in the suite and he joked "if I take a Simon Flash home my fiancee will beat me at it every night." Looks like he is a competitive guy.
  Brooke Burke, dressed in Cavalli, stopped by the Hasbro Simon Flash table right before the start of the show. The just married couple told us they now have a school in their home, so they can put the games to good use! Brooke and David took home the latest 2011 offerings from Hasbro and said when the kids open up all the games it will be like Christmas.
  Don Cheadle, a presenter, stopped by the Hasbro table and told us he had just hosted a game night last night. Don caught up with Laurence Fishburne over a game of Simon Flash, but first he had to remind Laurence how to play Simon! Laurence joked, "This game is gonna make me feel stupid!"
  Maya Rudolph, making the rounds at the Emmys before the launch of her new show Up All Night, stopped by the Simon Flash table and told us that she hosts game night all the time at home and is excited to teach her son how to play Simon Flash as she used to love to play the original Simon game. Maya said she'd challenge former SNL cast member Bill Murray to a game night anytime!
  Looks like Zachary Levi of Chuck has a passion for games - he hosts game night on an on-going basis. After playing Simon Flash, Hasbro asked Zachary if he could play a game with anyone, who would it be. His answer Gaddafi. Interesting. He spoke of his recent involvement in the Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story documentary. When asked why he got involved in the film, he said "I want to be Morgan Freeman and that man narrates a lot of documentaries, so I narrated the first doc that approached me."
  Taraji P. Henson stopped by the Simon Flash table and told us she is a big game player, she hosts game night at home.  She is a huge fan of Simon, in fact she just picked up an old-school Simon t-shirt.  After trying out the new version, she told us she better stop playing otherwise she'll be backstage in the suite all night trying to beat Simon and we'd never get home. Her dream game night opponent? James Brown. She event belted out a few of his famous lyrics.
  Kate Flannery, of The Office, joked and said "I am really pissing this thing off" as the Simon Flash beeped at her as she played the game. When asked who she would challenge to a game, she said "I'd bring back Albert Einstein." Looks like  Kate and Adrien Grenier are on same wave length.
  Celebrities who made an appearance backstage and received Simon Flash include: Wilmer Valderrama, Andy Samberg,  The Lonely Island group of SNL fame, The Canadian Tenors, John Stamos, Lea Michele, Ian Somerhalder, Zachary Levi, Jerry Ferrara, David Boreanaz, Taraji P. Henson, Paula Abdul, Maya Rudolph, Kate Flannery, Cobie Smulders, Minka Kelly, Annie Ilonzeh, Maria Menounos, Jennifer Carpenter, Julia Stiles, Christina Hendricks, Rainn Wilson, Christine Baranski, Josh Charles, Eva LaRue, Ty Burrell, Michael B. Jordan, LL Cool Jay, Adrien Grenier, Kevin Dillon, Jay Ferguson, Chris Noth, Tracy Morgan, Brooke Burke and David Charvet, Akon, Kevin Connolly, Charlie Sheen, Mario Lopez, Aubrey Plaza, Kerry Washington, Jason O'Mara, Aniz Ansari, John Slattery, Simon Helberg, Rob Lowe, Kunal Nayyar, Paul McCrane, William H. Macy, Rashida Jones, Adam Scott, Jeremy Piven, Megan Mullally, Laurence
  Fishburne, and Matthew Weiner.
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   Celebrity event designer, Colin Cowie, alongside Jason Binn, welcomed Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries to New York with an extraordinary celebration. The party took place at Capitale in New York City. “Working with Kim and Kris is an honor,” said Colin Cowie. “We wanted to create a magical evening to welcome them to New York by designing the ultimate style statement.” Colin Cowie has been working to create a spectacular experience for guests.  The overall décor took the approach of modern, sexy, chic, with a color scheme of black, white and chartreuse. Custom prints have been exclusively created for the evening and a private area within the venue has been designed.  Various entertainment and surprises are planned throughout the night to charm guests.